Elements of 4D:Time_ZionSmiley

 Zion Smiley

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10/3/22

Elements of 4D #1: Time

Time is an important element that plays a major role in art and design, from 2D to 3D and 4D art and design. Art occurs in time and space, and in art forms like video art, motion is essential to exploring a narrative as it happens, time is a determining concept. Time and movement both imply change and motion, and vice versa. Although we may not be aware of it, movement and time, whether real or an illusion, are essential components in art and design. A piece of art may include actual motion, meaning that it moves in some way.

Time has different dimensions such as height, width, and depth. Something I found interesting from reading this article is that there are many different ways to define and interpret time. According to the text, “Although we all have a basic understanding of time, there are many different definitions of this term depending on the field from which one approaches it. For our purposes, we will say that time is the progression of events and existence from the past, through the present, and into the future” (pg. 161). Personally, the way I interpret time in life is that time is everywhere, it’s in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and even years, it is inescapable, unstoppable, and irreversible. 

According to the article, the different categories of time are measured time, experienced time, running time, biological time, and digital time. Measured time is, “...time quantitatively measured by regularly recurring events or intervals, such as the passage of minutes, meals, seasons, or years” (pg. 162). Whereas, experienced time is also known as subjective, psychological, implied, or perceived time and it, “...refers to the perceived of time passing” (pg. 163). Running time, also known as “play time”, is how long a video or live event lasts in its entirety (the total time). According to the text, “For example, most feature-length films have a running time between 90 minutes and 2 hours. Plot time (also known as story time or scope [of a narrative]) represents the span of time the plot covers within the work” (pg. 164). Biological time is, “...a measure of time related to bodily functions, such as when we feel awake, tired, or hungry” (pg. 165). Lastly, digital time is more associated with technology and is more aware of time…According to the text, “Digital time is also a factor in sports events, such as swimming or running, where competitors may win by a fraction of a second. Battery life can create a similar hyper-awareness of time by highlighting the length of time a given battery allows you to complete a task on a piece of electronic equipment” (pg. 169). 

Salvador Dali The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory

While I was researching for a specific work of art that deals with time, I found Salvador Dali. The striking and peculiar images in his work have made the Spanish surrealist artist famous for his technical mastery and deft drafting. The specific work of art that I found interesting from Salvador is titled The Persistence of Memory. It is oil paint, it was created in 1952-1954, and it is currently located at Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, which holds the largest collection of his work outside of Europe. An interesting fact is Salvador later redid The Persistence of Memory and did one very similar to it and titled it The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory.  What I like most about the artwork is that time is located everywhere and there is a landscape in the background. The element of time works for this artwork because you see multiple clocks in this artwork, which represent time. What I took from this artwork would be the creation of strange creatures and unsettling scenes that typically made no sense was frequently depicted in the majority of Salvador’s artworks. It was intended to demonstrate the expression of the unconscious, expose contemporary philosophical concepts, and reflect the alienation experienced by society.

In conclusion, time has many different interpretations and categories. Time is not just one thing; it is made up of many different things. Even though we might not be aware of it, movement and time—whether they are actual or just an illusion—are crucial elements in both design and art. A work of art might actually move in some way, which is called actual motion. From 2D to 3D and 4D art and design, time is a crucial component that is very important.

Zion Smiley

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10/10/22

Elements of 4D #2: Sound 

The basic definition of sound is the ear is able to detect sound as a vibration. Due to the fact that it is utilized for speaking, singing, and musical expression, it is a crucial component of both communication and our social structure. Sound is everywhere around you, from the Bell Tower ringing, vehicles driving by, or a pen dropping on the floor, there is sound. Something I found interesting while reading the article is that silence is just as important as sound. According to the text, “Equally important is sound’s opposite, silence, or the perceived absence of sound. As artist John Cage pointed out, there is no such thing as true silence. In this regard, silence may also be referred to as perceived silence. For example, if you sealed yourself in a soundproof room, you would still hear your body’s heartbeat and breathing” (pg. 197). Due to its own connotations, silence can be used to enhance sound or as a means of expression. 

Three basic parts of sound are attack, sustain, and decay. According to the text, “the attack of sound is the time between the start of the sound and when it reaches its peak” (pg. 198). The attack of a sound can be very fast, such as slamming a door, or it can be very slow, such as a car approaching from a distance. An example of a sustain would be a bell. According to the text, “Once a sound reaches its peak, the sustain is the amount of time before it decays or falls off” (pg. 198). The decay is much slower and has more of an echo so the sound can bounce off in a space of a hard surface. According to the text, “The decay is the amount of time it takes a sound to diminish to silence from its sustain state” (pg. 198).

Sound has a variety of different groupings and categories such as synchronous sounds, nonsynchronous sounds, asynchronous sounds, diegetic sounds, and non-diegetic sounds. Synchronous sounds are, “...those that are timed to their source on-screen or within a designated performance space” (pg. 199). An example of a synchronous sound would be dialogue between two people on a screen. A great example of a nonsynchronous sound would be a video game. According to the text, “Nonsynchronous sounds play on-screen or onstage while their source is not currently visible but their source has been, or soon will be, visible” (pg. 199). Also, a sound bridge is another example of nonsynchronous sound and this occurs when a sound(s) from a shot continues into the next one. Asynchronous sound is, “...sound we hear that does not match what we see” (pg. 200). An example of this is someone who appears to be screaming but a completely different sound comes out, asynchronous sound is very useful to display an array of internal emotions. Diegetic, sometimes called literal, sounds are real sounds and non-diegetic, sometimes called nonliteral, sounds are commentary sounds. According to the text, “The distinction between these two sounds depends on each particular work and our understanding of conventions or established reality of the piece in terms of viewing and listening. We know that certain sounds are represented as coming from the world of the work (diegetic), while others are represented as coming from outside the world of the work (non-diegetic)” (pg. 200).

Christine Sun Kim, The Sound of Temperature Rising, 2019

As I was doing my research, an artist that stood out to me was Christine Sun Kim. What I find interesting about her is she is deaf and she uses her personal experiences with sound in her artwork. An artwork I like from her is titled The Sound of Temperature Rising. In this piece, Christine Sun Kim wonders what record-breaking global warming might sound like as the frequency of severe weather increases. What I like most about this piece is that you can tell Kim accomplished her goal which was to discuss the challenges of spoken language over signed language by investigating this question using well-known communication systems like musical notation, graphs, and American Sign Language (ASL). My thoughts on this piece is, I love how Kim put her artwork together. What I learned from this artwork is that art can still be as effective, sometimes more effective, with somebody having disability issues and they can still have a message behind their artwork despite their disability.

Zion Smiley

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10/30/2022

Elements of 4D #3: Movement

A shift or fluctuation in the position of an object, light, or sound is the simplest definition of movement. It is an excellent method for focusing a piece. Movement is influenced by shape, space, levels of space, balance, energy dynamics, weight, and gestures. Movement can serve a wide range of descriptive or expressive intents, from bodily or emotional reactions, by employing these aspects and principles. When the eye moves in one way, you know a movement is effective. Contrasting with a conflict of forces that draws the eye in a different direction is oppositional movement. The conflict between two characters in a video game is an illustration of this movement. In time-based works, movement can either be passively watched or actively engaged in.

Similar to sound, movement has distinct parts; attack, sustain, decay. The area beneath an object or person that links with the supporting surface, such as feet or hands, frequently squashes or recoils into its base of support at the beginning of a movement, for example when a person is about to leap. Center or gravity has an important role in movement. An object or figure's center of gravity, commonly referred to as the center of mass in a uniform gravity environment, affects movement. While an object with a high center of gravity may frequently appear unbalanced, one with a low center of gravity may frequently move stably. Making judgments concerning components like time, spacing, topography, and other factors will be easier if you keep the components of movement in mind while you produce a piece. 

Gestures, usually referred to as isolations, are motions made by a portion of a whole, such as a single part of the body or a single part of a machine. Some examples are rotating, extending, or flexing a person’s arm. Gestures are routinely planned for and used in dance and video works. Animated GIFs (digital image files that can display movement) and cinemographs (animated GIFs in which a minor and repeated movement occurs) demonstrate isolation. We can immediately identify solitary behaviors or routine movements. These movements can be expressive, nonfunctional, and vary from organic to angular in movement direction. Organic movement flows in rounded shapes, while angular movement involves more straight geometric shapes.

    The movement has a role in film and in video. Subjects are filmed and the camera can be moved in any direction and that affects how the viewer perceives the work. Common camera movements are the pan (pivoting side to side) and tilt (pivoting up and down). These camera movements allow the viewers to see more horizontal or vertical direction. A tracking or dolly camera moves perpendicular to the ground, allowing viewers to comprehend the point of view of the camera. Additionally, cameras have the ability to zoom, which is frequently used to change or alter the lens to enlarge or reduce the image captured by the camera.

     

Katsushika Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa or The Great Wave, 1832

Katsushika Hokusai, also known as  Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. He is best known for the woodblock print series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, which includes the iconic print  Under the Wave off Kanagawa or The Great Wave. Under the Wave off Kanagawa/The Great Wave is a woodblock print made in 1832.

What I like most about this painting is I can tell that it is a movement painting just by looking at the waves. This artwork shows the element of movement because you can see the depth of the waves and see water drops coming from the waves and gives the painting the element of movement. My overall thought on this piece is I believe that Hokusai executed the depth of the water, and I love the different color blues he used to articulate that. What I learned from this piece is that movement can be seen any and everywhere.